The RieslingKenner 4th Annual Hofgut Falkenstein vintage charity tasting was held last Sunday, January 14 at Easy Does it in Chicago. The fourth iteration of this event was not only sold out, but was bigger and better than our previous three events, and most importantly we were again able to partner with and support a wonderful charity, in The Trotter Project. For the first time ever, we were so fortunate to have Lars Carlberg join us from the winery. He was able to see, first hand, the love and affection that not only we have for the wines, but also the wine loving people of Chicago (and beyond) as well. We were again thrilled to be joined by German wine expert/legend David Schildknecht who drove in to attend our event for the second straight year. He also so very generously shared his wines and knowledge for a one of a kind 11 year vertical tasting of the âMutter Annaâ bottling from Falkenstein. We are so appreciative to our enthusiastic guests, which not only braved the extreme cold temperatures, but they definitely represented very well, with some who came in from 7 different states to enjoy these great wines and support a great cause.
Last year we did something that has never taken place before, anywhere. We were able to offer our guests an opportunity to taste through the entire US allocation of 24 different current release bottlings which highlighted the highly anticipated 2021 vintage. This year we did the same, but there were 25 different bottles from the 2022 vintage! The shear number of wines is something to behold when they are all lined up and presented for tasting. By the reactions of the guests, we were also reminded by the rarity of these wines. We are very fortunate here in Chicago to have Robert Houde Wines not only partnering with us on this event, but also having every single bottling come into the local market.
Before our impressions about the wines, we want to talk about why we do this annual event and our other events, raffles and get togethers for RieslingKenner. We do it for two simple reasons. The first is to celebrate our beloved Riesling by sharing it with others, giving attention to an underappreciated grape, and sharing our experiences along the way. The second (and most important) is to do what we can to help those of us in our society that need it, with a particular focus in fighting food insecurity and opening doors into wine for people that havenât historically had equal access. We make no money on any event or anything else that we do at RieslingKenner. Everything goes to purchasing the wines, securing a venue, and the remainder going to one of the charities we are supporting. We are overjoyed to partner with The Trotter Project for this latest event and through our efforts with this event and raffle, we were able raise enough money to help them create and plant a new community garden in a neighborhood, here in Chicago. None of this would be possible without the support of so many people that attended the event and donated as part of our raffle. Please feel free to come out and enjoy any of our events and also feel free to contact us about enlisting our support for you to host a RieslingKenner event in your home town.
The Wines:
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NV Landwein trocken: Always a fun way to start. This Pet Nat made from 100% Weissburgunder is easy, yeasty, and has herbaceous fruits.
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NV Pet Nat: Again made from 100% Weissburgunder, this comes slightly older vines than the Landwein and shows more precision and depth of flavor. This always reminds me of ginger spiced pear cider in the most delicious way. I canât help but think of visiting the winery and drinking a bottle of this with Erich, Johannes, and Lars while standing next to vines that make this great Pet Nat.
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2022 Niedermenniger Herrenberg Weissburgunder SpÀtlese trocken AP 2: This may be the best Weissburgunder that I have ever had from Falkenstein. Bright, fresh, and full of class. There is real precision here with beautiful balance and notes of Asian pear and juicy citrus.
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2022 Niedermenniger Herrenberg Rose trocken AP 23: Similar to the Weissburgunder, 2022 was very good for this Rose. So balanced and fresh, with nice bright fruit that made this so tasty.
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2022 Niedermenniger Herrenberg Kabinett trocken âMutter Annaâ AP 1: The oyster salinity came forward to me when tasting this for a second time in the same day. Singular and beautiful.
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2022 Niedermenniger Herrenberg Kabinett trocken âEgonâ AP 19: More âfullâ than Mutter Anna with piquant nectarines and perfume of wildflowers.
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2022 Niedermenniger Sonnenberg Kabinett trocken âMunnyâ AP 9: To me on this particular night, this was the star of the trocken lineup. Deep and savory with notes of smoked herbs and wet stones on this filigreed and racy palate.
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2022 Krettnacher Auf dem Hölzchen Kabinett trocken AP 21: Light, delicate, and filigreed. This was all about lemons, limes, and piquant apples.
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2022 Krettnacher Altenberg SpÀtlese trocken AP 7: More spicy that the others, this was very mineral and showed tangy orchard fruit notes.
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2022 Krettnacher Ober SchÀfershaus Riesling SpÀtlese trocken AP 18: One of the stars of the night for many people at the event. Beautiful mix of depth and pretty florality. Seems to have an extra gear next to the Altenberg.
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2022 Niedermenniger Herrenberg Kabinett feinherb âHerbertâ AP 15: This bottling to me shows really well early on and was super playful and pure. A delicious wine that I have a feeling would evaporate quickly.
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2022 Niedermenniger Herrenberg Kabinett feinherb âOnkel Peterâ AP 4: A favorite of mine, the nose on this wine jumped out of the glass. There were layers and layers of delicate notes of flowers and fruit. A wine to spend an evening with.
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2022 Niedermenniger Herrenberg SpĂ€tlese feinherb âMeyer Nepalâ AP 11: The fruit felt darker after the last wines with notes of tangelo, pluot, and sweet herbs. Pure deliciousness.
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2022 Niedermenniger Herrenberg SpĂ€tlese feinherb âPalmâ AP 3: This felt more fine than Meyer Nepal and though it wasnât quite as expressive, there was something about it that I preferred on this particular night. Very detailed and precise.
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2022 Niedermenniger Im Kleinschock Riesling Kabinett AP 20: Always very playful to me and this vintage was no different. Juicy clementines and beautiful lightness.
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2022 Krettnacher Euchariusberg Kabinett âMarliesâ AP 13: A wine that multiple people said was their favorite Kabi of the bunch. It was drinking very well and seemed to be ready to go.
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2022 Krettnacher Euchariusberg Kabinett âTernesâ AP 14: This got lost a bit because it was following Marlies, because this was very nuanced and more about delicacy and minty freshness. Ultimately I think this will be the better wine.
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2022 Krettnacher Euchariusberg Kabinett âKugel Peterâ AP 12: A real star for me, this burst from the glass with candied limes and mouthwatering empire apples. There is depth here, but the youthful verve makes this irresistible.
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2022 Krettnacher Euchariusberg Kabinett Alte Reben âGiselaâ AP 8: A favorite of mine, this was gorgeous. When young, Gisela doesnât speak loudly, she whispers. You lean in and there is so much purity, depth and filigree. With time in the glass it shows greater expression with notes of lime, herbs, a flutter of florality and a core of minerality.
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2022 Ockfener Bockstein Riesling Kabinett âSchorschâ AP 17: A clear shift in fruit character with bluer fruit tones and is very zippy with a creamy and spicy palate.
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2022 Ockfener Bockstein Riesling Kabinett Alte Reben âMiaâ AP 22: Similar to Schorsch, but with an extra gear and greater depth. The depth is not an element of scale either, because this actually seemed more pure and elegant. There was more mineral purity and layers that made this very special.
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2022 Krettnacher Euchariusberg SpĂ€tlese âKlausâ AP 6: This was drinking extremely well and really grabbed my attention with its spicy fruit and long long lip-smacking finish that left me thinking about this wine for several minutes after I tasted it.
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2022 Krettnacher Euchariusberg SpĂ€tlese âMammenâ AP 24: This felt slightly rounder on this particular night, particularly after having Klaus. The fruit was more pears and apples with a slightly âeasierâ feel to them.
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2022 Krettnacher Euchariusberg Auslese âFörsterâ AP 5: Another star of the tasting and one that many people raved about. A truly âdrinking Ausleseâ that is impossibly light despite so much depth of fruit and energy. Candied citrus, piquant orchard fruit, and just flat out amazingly delicious.
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2021 Niedermenniger Herrenberg Rotwein trocken AP 10: Bright and fresh with notes of tart cherries and a touch of spice. Definitely a wine that will benefit from some cellaring.